DM Diagnosis : Thank You

There, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?

And that concludes my rant on the sad state of acknowledgments — because there’s a lot to be celebrated in what many nonprofits are doing to thank and cultivate donors.

A déjà vu thank-you
One of my alter egos, Dee Dee Rae, sent Paralyzed Veterans of America a gift in response to an acquisition package she received after she subscribed to the National Enquirer a few years ago. In response to the $7 cash gift she tucked into a PVA security-screen return envelope this past New Year’s Eve, on Feb. 17, Dee Dee Rae received what initially looks like a typical PVA appeal.

However, inside the plain kraft carrier is a personalized notepad topped with a reply slip that has a “Gift Acknowledgment” headline and a circled note: “Many thanks for your recent gift of $7.” Below the reply slip is a sheet of personalized mailing labels and, below that, a thank-you message on the first sheet of the notepad.

A classic déjà vu of the original offer, the thank-you doubles both as an acknowledgment and a prompt for the next modest donation — a winning formula for this type of small-gift fundraising program.

A hefty thank-you
Earthjustice’s thank-you arrived on Jan. 17 in a 10-inch-by-15-inch manila envelope. Inside I found a very nice, roomy and durable canvas tote bag, with a tag sewn into an inside seam stamped, “MADE IN THE USA” that I was very pleased to see. A quality product that will last for many years, if not decades, it will remind me every time I use it that Earthjustice is doing good work and that I helped.

In addition to a personalized letter, the package includes several inserts and a copy of the organization’s quarterly newsletter, rich with substantive content on recent accomplishments and environmental news.

This is not an inexpensive package by any means, but its literal and figurative heft makes it worth the expense. There’s a lot for a new donor to experience inside that enriches and extends the pleasure of having given — a sure inroad to acquiring an additional gift. So … standing ovation, Earthjustice!

A personal thank-you
For about a decade, I had the privilege of writing fundraising letters for Habitat for Humanity’s founder, the late Millard Fuller, when he was the organization’s president. When he began the Fuller Center for Housing, I wasn’t surprised to receive a direct-mail prospect from his new venture. Millard was a direct-marketing veteran long before he decided to live his faith and eliminate poverty housing.

And he was a stickler about immediately acknowledging donations, no excuses.

So I was not surprised that his was the first thank-you I received this year; nor was I surprised that he took the time to write a personal letter even though I am not a major donor. Millard set the standard for excellence in donor acknowledgment. He had a keen understanding that if you want another donation, you’d best thank your donor for the one you just got.

And since I seem to be stuck in a perpetual dance with the No Fly nonprofit’s acquisition control in the Direct-Mail Twilight Zone, if I decide it gets one more chance, my next gift isn’t going in alone. I’ll still mail it in the prospect control BRE so it travels through regular channels — but it’ll be accompanied by a letter stipulating that my gift is made in Millard’s memory. FS

Kimberly Seville is a creative strategist and freelance copywriter. Reach her at kimberlyseville@yahoo.com

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